Singer Ayumi Hamasaki, 30, has injured her right hand, and with only four days to go until NHK’s Red and White Singing Contest, she is in a race against time to recover and take to the stage to lead off the New Year’s Eve show. NHK announced Friday the order of songs for New Year’s Eve, and it would be the first time in the show’s history if the opening artist were to be unable to perform.
According to her agency Avex Group, Hamasaki fell down the stairs at her apartment on Wednesday and injured her right hand. Staff took her to hospital where she received medical attention, and on Thursday she underwent surgery. Hamasaki later had to cancel her live performance at TV Asahi’s “Music Station Super Live 2008” on Friday night. Her doctors say the injury will take three weeks to heal, and her fall was caused by anemia exacerbated by fatigue.
Hamasaki wrote on her blog: “I can’t even hold a microphone. I’m really upset and truly sorry I couldn’t make it to ‘Music Station.’” In addition to the Red and White Singing Contest, she is scheduled to perform on the 30th and 31st at Yoyogi National Stadium. “I just have to believe in my strength, and hope my body can heal before then,” she wrote.
Shin Ishihara, chief producer of the Red and White Singing Contest, said: “We wanted to open the show in a certain style and Hamasaki was going to do that for us. But now we’ll have to wait and see.”
Rehearsals will be held on Monday, where it will become clear if Hamasaki will open the New Year’s Eve show as scheduled.
Quelle: ahsforum
